TITLE:
Wildfires in Botswana and Their Frequency of Occurrence
AUTHORS:
Kago Ernest Maabong, Kgakgamatso Mphale
KEYWORDS:
Wildfires, Botswana, Fire Frequency, Area Burned
JOURNAL NAME:
Atmospheric and Climate Sciences,
Vol.11 No.4,
September
13,
2021
ABSTRACT: Fires play an essential part in the maintenance of the environment, but
amplified fire activity often leads to adverse effects in the environment such
as destruction of property and loss of life. Botswana has experienced wildfires
that are caused by humans intentionally and unintentionally. Some of these
wildfires grow into mega fires such as the 2008 wildfires. Data of wildfires reported in Botswana
from the Department of Forestry and Range Resources and the frequency of
occurrence was studied and analyzed. It shows the period of 2006-2017, Ghanzi
and Ngamiland districts were mostly affected by wildfires. These districts have
protected land such as the wildlife parks which may lead to the outbreak of natural wildfires that burns unnoticed
due to minimal movements of people. The wildfires reported in each district
show an increase over the years and this may affect the smooth running of
operations.